Next Stop: Yandunjiao, a picturesque coastal gem of history and nature in China

Yandunjiao Village, a small fishing village nestled between mountains and the sea in east China's Shandong Province, boasts picturesque scenery.

Located in Lidao Town, Rongcheng City, it was selected for the United Nations' "2024 Best Tourism Villages" list in November, making it the first village in Shandong to be recognized by the United Nations as one of the world's best tourism villages.

To the east, it faces the Yellow Sea, while the Shidao Port lies to the south. The village has a 7,000-meter-long coastline, giving it a prime location with natural advantages. 

The village, founded during the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1627-1644), has a long history. It was named after a beacon tower that was built at the peak of Gushan Mountain to the east during the early Ming Dynasty to fend off wokou (Japanese pirates).

The village's seagrass houses are a local architectural feature. These houses are built with stone walls and roofs thatched with seagrass, providing insulation against both heat and cold. They are also resistant to fire. There are currently 246 seagrass houses, comprising over 1,300 rooms, the oldest of which have been standing for over 300 years. These seagrass houses are known as "living specimens of Chinese ecological architecture" and represent a unique style of residential building along the northern coastal region.

In addition to the seagrass houses, Yandunjiao Village is also the largest winter habitat for whooper swans in Asia. Every year from November to April, thousands of swans migrate here to spend the winter, creating a lively and magnificent natural spectacle. Because of this, Yandunjiao is fondly known as the "Swan Village."

Moreover, marine resources in Yandunjiao are abundant. The village has heavily invested in developing its marine aquaculture industry, establishing a connected network of natural resources consisting of mountains, sea, beaches, reefs, bays, forests and fields. The annual output of marine products such as kelp, oysters and scallops reaches up to 15,000 tonnes.

In recent years, Yandunjiao Village has fully leveraged its resource advantages to develop into a unique fishing village that combines tourism and marine ranching (a sustainable form of marine aquaculture). Every year, it attracts numerous visitors for sightseeing, photography, sketching and summer relaxation. 

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(Cover designed by CGTN's Du Chenxin)